With the 2014/15 West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Regional 4-day title already in the bag, the Guyana Jaguars star performers are now seeking to wrap up their campaign by meeting individual milestones ahead of the continuation of the West Indies international calendar.
Apart from their near perfect eight wins out of nine matches in the tournament so far, the Jaguars have excelled individually in both the batting and bowling departments since the competition bowled off last year. Batting wise, the Jags have five of the top order batsmen in the top ten run-scorers list though batting honours for the most runs will inevitably end up in the clutches of West Indies Test opener Devon Smith who has smashed 710 runs at an average of 54.61 from his eight matches played, scoring three fifties and two centuries, with one more match to play and a cool 126 runs ahead of the second placed Tyrone Theophile (584).
The final round of the competition which bowls off today, will allow the top performers the opportunity to add to their repertoire as well as spotlight their skills for selection to the West Indies squad for the upcoming home series against England.
Jags middle-order batsman and West Indies left-hander, Narsingh Deonarine, the leading run-getter for Guyana with 499 runs from eight matches with two centuries, will have to bat out of his skin to ensure that teammate Rajendra Chandrika (490) who has five half-centuries and trails him by nine runs, does not eclipse him.
The three other batsmen who can potentially become leading run-scorers for Guyana at the conclusion of the competition are skipper Leon Johnson (463), Vishaul “Cheesy” Singh (457) and the veteran Shiv Chanderpaul (420). Singh is the only player among the trio with a century while the others will definitely seek to end their campaign with a ton.
The Jaguars real strength has been in the bowling throughout the competition, with two of their top performers in Veerasammy Permaul and Davendra Bishoo occupying the number one and two spots respectively while apart from the two Jags spinners, five other slow bowlers occupy top spots in the leading wicket-takers list.
Permaul has bagged 59 scalps from his nine matches played so far and has managed a stingy average of 14.38, the best by any spinner in the tournament with more than 30 wickets. The left-arm slow bowler has also managed to accumulate four 5-wicket hauls and three 10-fers, placing himself in the frontline for a possible West Indies recall.
However, the tussle for bowling honours is not promised to Permaul despite his having only one more match which is mainly due to stiff competition from teammate Bishoo and Trinidad & Tobago’s Imran Khan who both sit comfortably on 51 wickets. Bishoo started his hunt late but managed to chip away at his opponents and copped three 5-wicket hauls so far at an average of 18.21, a brave effort by the leg-spinner who has come far in the competition.
Another strong contender for the leading wicket-takers spot is the 30-year-old Khan who pips both bowlers because of his ability as a pure batsman. The leg-break bowler has been on top since the start of the competition and has amassed four 5-fers and one 10-wicket haul to flaunt.
The two other bowlers who have a real chance of ending their regional campaigns on a high are Jamaica’s Damion Jacobs (44) and Barbados’ Jomel Warrican (41). As the players set out for one final round in the four-dayers, fans are hopeful that the West Indies selectors award their players for their sterling achievements.
